Category Archives: Book Blogs

It’s time!!! Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon is here and the countdown to begin is in approximately one hour. My stack is pictured above. There is still time to sign up so don’t miss out. This year we have a record breaking 900 readers from all over the world. It’s truly amazing to see how far this event has come in our book blogging community. I have been participating in this event since 2010 and helping to co-host since 2012…even if those short years this event has grown to truly unbelievable proportions. In April due to the needs of my family I was both unable to participate or co-host and it was really hard for me. All day it felt like something was missing. It was as if I was missing a family reunion. So let’s get together, read and have a fabulous next 24 hours together. Let’s make each and every page count. Make sure and join me for hours 15, 16 & 17 (10pm-1am EST) as those will be my co-hosting hours and I have some fun stuff in store. Keep in touch & have a great readathon!! Follow me @stiletostrytime And away we go……

Readathon Log

Hours Read: 13.25

Pages Read: 615

Books Completed: 1

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Currently Reading:

The Paradise by Emile Zola

Mini-Challenges Completed: 5

Hours Hosted: 3

Snacks Consumed: Too Guilty to List Them At This Point

Opening Meme

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

Saint Augustine Beach , FL

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld. And today is feeling like a Zola day so I may throw some Emile Zola in.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

Trader Joe’s Cowgirl Bark

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I love fresh flowers, tea and my sweet son more than life itself.

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today?

Pace myself and not over-do my eyes before I host tonight. In the past I have tried strained my eyes.

Mid-Event Survey1. What are you reading right now?

Can you believe I am still on my first book? I cannot put down Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld.2. How many books have you read so far?

Almost 1!3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

I have not decided yet but it is between a horror title and a classic re-read.4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

Quite a few but I have still managed to stay pretty focused…you know for a Mommy!5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

I am shocked I am staying with one book. This has never happened in 4 years of readathons.

It’s that time again….you’ve probably guessed since the buzz on Twitter and around the book blog world is palpable. It’s been building for some time now. It’s even the thing that gets me out of literary hiatus: it’s Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon time. Can it be…this is my 8th readathon? My how each readathon has seen so many changes in my own life. That would be four years now for me. My how time flies when you are having fun. And this year I have the honor of hosting again…it’s been a into multiple years for that now too and it’s something I so look forward to. So come stop by hours 5-7 and say hello! And of course let me know what you are reading. That’s one of my favorite parts of Readathon! The librarian in me loves to snoop into others reading piles. But I love to share books as well….

So what am I reading?

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Finding Colin Firth by Mia March

The Unidentified Readhead by Alice Clayton (ARC)

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

So what do you think? I will have to admit to hoarding some great books and not reading them until Readathon. Can you tell? It’s time now to start reading…so whether you are a readathon veteran or this is your very first year…remember to enjoy every second. I know I will.

Readathon Stat Tracker

Pages Read: 775

Hours Read: 16.5

Hours Hosting Readathon: 3

Mini-Challenges Completed: 14

Books Completed: 3

Opening Introduction

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Atlanta, Georgia
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Doctor Sleep by Stephen King…saving it for dark.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? I am ordering Thai for dinner so I am looking forward to spring rolls. Enjoying Green Tea all day too.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I am a former librarian turned Mommy to the sweetest child on Earth. I read as I breath..it is needed for life.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? Try to get in more solid reading. With hosting, mini-challenges, twitter conversations…it can get distracting from the actual reading. But those other things are also what makes readathon truly special and such a wonderful event.

Mad Libs Mini-Challenge

“There was a penguin in her room. Cath looked up at the pumpkin painted on the car, then down at the running shoe assignment in her hand. Pound Hall, 913. This was definitely tree 913, but maybe it’s wasn’t Pound Hall- all these dolphins looked alike, like public housing towers for the dumb. Maybe Cath should try to scratch her Dad before he brought up the rest of her kittens.” ~Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Show It Off Mini-Challenge Entry

I didn’t expect to have a mini-challenge that would make me cry during this readathon but all that changed when you asked me to share the book that means the most in my personal library. You see the book above is not just a book and most will probably say that about their treasure tome too. However I doubt many will say a book and it’s authors helped save their child’s life. But this book did. It represents my fight and every moment of the last two years of my life: the hardest two years I will ever live God willing. My very first Dewey’s Readathon saw me the happiest I ever was. I had a beautiful baby boy and I was in my element spending my days reveling in Mommyhood and books. And then I lost my child….he literally disappeared in front of my eyes to this thing that has been labeled “autism”. My son’s autism wasn’t this sparkly “special” thing..it was not quirkiness….it was what felt like the death of a dream. My child was sick. He was gone and in the blink of an eye. He quit speaking completely around his second birthday. He would no longer look at me. He would no longer answer to his name or even acknowledge another person’s presence most of the time. I grieved for two seconds then I got mad. I turned into the librarian I was with a mission like no other, the mission of a mother trying to desperately save their child. I turned to what I knew best…books and the pursuit of knowledge.

I discovered a group of parents that have since become my mentors, my closest friends and my heroes-my family. A group of 23 mothers and one father that refused to accept what had happened to their children was who they were all along, was in any way acceptable, was irreversible, was inherently genetic….was anything less than an epidemic deserving of an evolution. Two years of fighting day and night. Spending nearly a hundred grand on therapies and treatments NOT covered by insurance and praying to God every night as I looked into his beautiful face- And now I can share my son is coming back to me. He’s speaking again, he’s singing, he’s looking into my eyes, he’s playing with other children, he’s interested in books again…the list goes on and on and on. My son is coming back to me. And in large part I am getting to know my son for the first time in so many ways because of the parents behind this book.

That is why when I thought about what book to donate for a prize for readathon I chose this one. Because if I could put one book into the hands of anyone with a loved one affected by autism…it would be this one. With a child diagnosed with autism every 20 seconds….that’s a lot of hands. 1 in 88 children today and the information for those stats were collected 4 years ago! Because it could literally give a child their voice back, allow them a future and make possible a parent’s dream of life with the child that God gave them. There is no book that could or ever will match what this book has done in our family’s lives because nothing could ever be more important to me than my son. Autism may have been a stop on our journey but it will not be our final destination.

Readathon End Questionnaire

Which hour was most daunting for you? 23…There was absolutely some vigorous nodding going on at 7 am as the sun was getting bright.Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?Fangirl was really great just like Eleanor & Park.Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Keep up the great work!What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? Everyone really rocked it this year in all categories. Great job to all.How many books did you read? 3What were the names of the books you read?

The Wizard of Of by Frank L. Baum

The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud (Started Pre-Readathon)

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Which book did you enjoy most?Fangirl by far.Which did you enjoy least?The Woman Upstairs I enjoyed but it was a tough one for me.How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Of course I will. See everyone in April and hopefully I will have the honor of co-hosting again next year.

Today I must admit I am not feeling so hot at all. If it were any other Saturday I would probably crawl up in bed with a book and alternate with reading and naps….but it’s not a day that I will allow anything to keep me down so I will do a variation on the nap/reading plan. In case you haven’t heard… It’s Dewey Day! Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon is under way. It’s kind of like Christmas for book bloggers and readers alike. Except we’re lucky because it comes twice a year in both April and October. Yep, It’s that time of year again readers…if you have followed Stiletto Storytime over the years at all you know this is one of my favorite events. This is my seventh Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon. I have worn many hats for this event over the years. I have been a reader, a cheerleader and a co-host long into the night…and this year I am honored to be co-hosting again. So if you’re reading this year…you’ll see me Hour 13-16. Make sure to say Hi! Below is my stack…something old, something new…but I always seem to wander to my shelves and library pile during this event so no doubt there will be some changes. So buckle up…and let’s get this show on the road. If you are stopping by please say hello and share what you’re reading!

Introduction Questions

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Atlanta, Georgia 2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? All of them to be honest…but really I am still waiting for the perfect one to grab me! 3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Almond M & M’s 4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I’m a Mommy to the cutest four year old you’ll ever meet. 5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? Since I have the honor of co-hosting this year I am kind of taking it easy and just doing some relaxing reading until my hours come up. Then I will focus on making hours 13-16 fun for all and then dive back into the books!

My Read-a-thon Results

Total # of Books Read: 2.75

# of Pages Read: 981

#of Hours Read: 12.5

# of Hours Co-Hosted: 4

# of Mini-Challenges Completed: 12

I began this Read-a-thon by finishing up a book for the Spring Into Horror Read-a-thon which is running simultaneously. I have just finished Little Star by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist. Recently just finished Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza. Two down…on to the next. I’d say it’s time for the comfort that comes with re-reading a classic and personal favorite. I don’t have the copy of Rebecca that is featured below but Oh…how I wish I did.

Wow…I’m quite late on the official 2012 wrap up post for my book challenge results here at Stiletto Storytime. It feels like I have been constantly playing catch up in my life and especially in the blogging/reading/reviewing sector for the last year or so. A main course of kicking autism’s butt daily and focusing on returning your child to a full and healthy existence with a side of stress induced auto-immune disorders for yourself will do that for you. It will knock you down but I have not let it knock me out. At times I have wished I could simply put out the above sticky and be done with it.There were even times in the last year when I will admit I have considered ending Stiletto Storytime which has been a labor of love over the last six years of my life. In the end luckily I decided I simply couldn’t do it. Reading has always been my most cherished escape and at this time in my life I truly need that escape more than ever. So here’s to looking forward to a fantastic year of books and blogging in 2013 but before we march on into a new year, let’s check out what I did achieve in 2012…..

So how did I do? While I did complete all my reading challenges, I must admit to dropping down a few levels in some when allowed. I read a total of 81 books last year which I must admit is not much for me personally. I read 143 books in 2011 and 186 in 2010. Taking those numbers into account I had set a goal of 150 for 2012 but what can I say…life happens. So for this next year I am going to set the goal of 100 books. I have every reason to believe that this coming year will be one of healing and focus for myself and our family. That being said I will never forget those individuals and organizations that have stood by me and been such a pleasure to work with in the book blogging and publishing community. I truly learned over the last year who cared beyond books. I will never forget how those people have lifted me up and made me believe in myself when the world around me made me question everything. In closing if I missed a deadline, if I did not respond to your book pitch, if I did not get a certain review out…I apologize from the bottom of my heart. It has been the hardest year of my entire life but I survived and that gives me great pride and hope for 2013.

So how many books did you read in 2012? What was your goal? Are there any reading challenges that I simply cannot miss for 2013? I am making my list now and would love to hear of any great challenges out there. So let’s share and get the reading started…

Can you believe it? In exactly two weeks or as Jane would say “in only a fortnight”, our beloved Pride & Prejudice is about to turn 200 years old! How can you let an event like that pass without a celebration of enormous proportions amongst all Janeites and even those who only have a passing relationship with the classic…the answer is….you can’t. That’s why when the very talented Jane Austen inspired author Alyssa Goodnight approached me about doing a 200th Anniversary Party Blog Hop, I simply couldn’t resist. 200 Austen lovers getting together to celebrate 200 years of Pride & Prejudice is our goal. That’s right 200 of you…I know that’s quite a large number but what can I say we’re optimists and this is a very big milestone indeed. How often does this type of anniversary come around after all?

Jane Austen Journal

So you want to be a part of the party? It’s simple really. Just sign up and post on January 28, 2013 about the anniversary of Pride & Prejudice. You can post about anything you would like as long as it is P & P related…write a letter to Jane herself about how she’s affected your life with her most treasured tome, reminisce about the first time you saw your favorite embodiment of Mr. Darcy whether it be Colin Firth (as it should be) or any other I suppose (wink) on the big or small screen. You could even write a bit of fan fiction yourself if you felt so inclined. Also if you’d like you can host a giveaway or mini-challenge event as we hope people will be hopping around the participant blogs and having a grand ole time.

Here at Stiletto Storytime I will be posting about Pride & Prejudice as well as hosting a fun little game for all my devoted Janeite friends. The prize will be a lovely Jane Austen journal for you to jot your favorite Austen quotes into in the future. So get fun, get creative and get excited as we celebrate a classic that has made all our live richer in so many ways. And remember begin to prepare for the party coming up in two weeks but sign up now here.

So you’re formally invited ladies and gentlemen. Won’t you please honor us and dearest Jane with your online presence?

Merry Christmas from Stiletto Storytime!

Another year has passed here at Stiletto Storytime and I find myself thankful for another year of books, blogging and of course fabulous readers like yourself. I wish you and yours the merriest of Christmas’ and/or any other holiday that you may celebrate. Enjoy being with family and friends, great food and if you are so inclined a bit of a good book on the side. Later today I will be cuddling up with a good book under a nice cozy blanket while sipping some white hot chocolate and I hope wherever you are in the world you may join me in this tradition. If you so please share with us all here at Stiletto Storytime…what book will you be cuddling up with?

It’s that time of year again folks! I’m not going to lie…I love Christmas. I always have and having a three year old now who is literally obsessed with Christmas has only made it more special. One of my favorite things about Christmas has also always been that extra reading time and if I am lucky bookstore gift cards coming my way or even that one special book under the tree on Christmas morning. So to celebrate I am participating in the Christmas Book Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer & Laurie Here. This great giveaway hop has over 120 blogs participating and giving away one or more Christmas themed tomes. Make sure to check out the participating blog list here.

This holiday season I decided to team up with the always lovely, talented and extremely generous Heather Vogel Frederick so we could provide some very lucky reader with copies of her fifth installment in the fabulous Mother- Daughter Book Club series: Home for the Holidays. It’s the perfect read for Mom or Daughter…or even better Mom and Daughter together. It would also make a fantastic Christmas present and I know Heather would be more than happy to sign it to that special someone if you’d like. She’s just that kind of person. A true gem of an author indeed. I have honestly enjoyed every book in this series and each can be read alone or in order so don’t worry if you’re not all caught up!

To enter to win just comment below and let us know your favorite book to read during this time of year…it doesn’t have to be Holiday related whatsoever. For instance I often re-read my favorite classics this time of year simply because I have the time. This year I am re-reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo in preparation for the release of the movie musical. So…as you sip hot cocoa, sit by the fire and maybe just maybe…watch it snow ( who am I kidding…I live in Georgia)…what book will you have in hand?

Three lucky winners will be chosen here at Stiletto Storytime to win their own copy of Home for the Holidaysby Heather Vogel Frederick. This Giveaway Hop will end on December 9, 2012 at midnight EST. This giveaway is open to US/CAN addresses only. Winners will be chosen by random number generator and notified by e-mail.

Want extra entries? You can get an extra entry by doing any of the following: